The Sonic Warriors
by WonderWarriorStudios
Summary: When Cinderpelt receives and mysterious prophecy from Bluestar, just one moon after the battle with BloodClan, everyone is left confused and worried. Then, Firestar is kidnapped by a strange looking Twoleg, and two hauntingly familiar-looking cats. But a new hero shall rise to save the beloved leader, and his name is Sonic.
1. Info

**BACK COVER TEXT:  
**_When Fire is extinguished, only a blue blur from afar can reignite the Flame  
_This is the prophecy Cinderpelt receives one night at the Moonstone, only a moon after the battle with BloodClan. No cat knows what it could mean until one faithful day, when Firestar is kidnapped by an unknown Twoleg enemy, along with two cats that see horrifically familiar. And amid the chaos one night at a gathering, the most unlikely warrior, sent by StarClan themselves, to battle the evil and bring Firestar back to the Clans.

**Disclaimer:  
**This story is FAN-FICTION. Kittens-and-wolves does not claim any ownership of Sonic the hedgehog or Warrior Cats.  
Fanfic (c) 2015 Wonder Warrior Studios

Warriors (c) 2004-2015 The Erin Hunter crew

Sonic the Hedgehog (c) 1991-2015 SEGA

*Insert more legal stuff here*

**_My notes (which will be in bold italics):  
I am also making a graphic novel of this (full color, hopefully), but that will take awhile. I'm making good progress though! Tell me what you think of the idea!  
And SPOILER ALERT!:  
Yes, Firestar WILL have a super form (courtesy of Whitestar-Lightning)._**


	2. Allegiances

The Sonic Warriors ~ Allegiances

Thunderclan

Leader **Firestar-**ginger tom with a flame-colored pelt

**APPRENTICE, BRAMBLEPAW**

Deputy **Graystripe-**long-haired gray tom

Medicine Cat **Cinderpelt-**dark gray she-cat with blue eyes

Warriors (toms, and she-cats without kits)

**Longtail-**pale tabby tom, dark black stripes

**APPRENTICE, SOOTPAW**

**Mousefur-**small dusky brown she-cat

**Brackenfur-**golden brown tabby tom

**Dustpelt-**dark brown tabby tom

**Sandstorm-**pale ginger she-cat

**APPRENTICE, SORRELPAW**

**Frostfur-**beautiful white she-cat with blue eyes

**Willowpelt-**very pale-gray she-cat with usual blue eyes

**Cloudtail-**long-haired white tom

**APPRENTICE, RAINPAW **

**Thornclaw-**golden-brown tabby tom

**Brightheart-**white she-cat, ginger splotches

**Ashfur-**pale gray (with darker flecks) tom, dark blue eyes

**Ferncloud-**pale gray (with darker flecks) she cat, green eyes

APPRENTICES (more than six moons old, in training to become

warriors)

**Bramblepaw-**dark brown tabby tom, amber eyes

** Sorrelpaw-**tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

** Sootpaw-**light gray tom with amber eies

** Rainpaw-**darker gray tom with blue eyes

Queens (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

ELDERS (former warriors and queens, now retired

**Goldenflower-**pale ginger she-cat

** Smallear-**gray tom with very small ears; oldest tom in ThunderClan

** Dappletail-**one-pretty tortoiseshell she-cat, lovely dappled coat

** Speckletail-**pale tabby, and the oldest nursery queen

** One-eye-**pale gray she-cat, oldest cat in ThunderClan. virtually blind and deaf 

ShadowClan

Leader **Blackstar-**large white tom, huge jet-black paws

Deputy **Russetfur-**dark ginger she-cat

**APPRENTICE, CEADERPAW**

Medicine Cat **Runningnose-**small gray-and-white tom

**Littlecloud-**very small tabby tom

Warriors **Oakfur-**small brown tom

**APPRENTICE, TAWNYPAW**

**Boulder-**skinny gray tom

**Jaggedtooth-**huge tabby tom

**APPRENTICE, ROWANPAW**

APPRENTICES **Ceaderpaw-**dark gray tom

**Tawnypaw-**tortoiseshell she-cat

**Rowanpaw-**ginger tom

Queens **Tallpoppy-**long-legged light brown tabby she-cat

WindClan

Leader **Tallstar-**black and white tom, very long tail

Deputy **Mudclaw-**mottled dark brown tom

Medicine Cat **Barkface-**short-tailed brown tom

Warriors **Webfoot-**dark gray tabby tom

**Tornear-**tabby tom

**Onewhisker-**brown tabby tom

**Runningbrook-**light gray tabby she-cat

Queens **Ashfoot-**gray she-cat

**Morningflower-**tortoiseshell she-cat

**Whitetail-**small white she-cat

RiverClan

Leader **Leopardstar-**unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat

Deputy **Mistyfoot-**dark ginger she-cat

**APPRENTICE, CEADERPAW**

Medicine Cat **Mudfur-**small gray-and-white tom

Warriors **Blackclaw-**smoky black tom

**Heavystep-** thickset tabby tom

**Shadepelt-**very dark gray she-cat

**Loubelly-**dark brown tom

**Stormfur-**dark gray tom with amber eyes

**Feathertail-**light gray she-cat with blue eyes

**Dawnflower-**pale gray she-cat

Queens **Mosspelt-**tortoiseshell she-cat

Creatures outside clans

**Sonic the Hedgehog-**blue spiky being from another world;

can run faster than the speed of sound

**Dr. Ivo (Eggman) Robotnik- **Large, round Twoleg from another

world; has an IQ of 300, yet can't outsmart a hedgehog

**Barley-**black-and-white tom that lives on a farm close to the forest

**Ravenpaw-**sleek black tom who lives on

the farm with Barley

**Princess-**light brown with a distinctive

white chest and paws; a kittypet

**Smudge-**plump black-and-white kittypet

who lives in a house on the edge of the forest


	3. Prologue

_ The tunnel was dark and cold _as five cats made their way to a very special place. They let their whiskers guide them as they navigated through the tunnel, their feet padding quietly on the cold stone floor. The half-moon shone bright through a ragged hole in the roof, and it was a special time. It was the time the Clan medicine cats gathered at the Moonstone to share tongues with their warrior ancestors, StarClan.

As a gray she-cat entered the cavern, it lit up brilliantly as the moonlight struck and reflected off of the beautiful rock. As she entered, four more cats came through behind her; two brown toms, a black-and white tom, and a small golden-brown tom.

As they gathered around the Moonstone one of the brown toms, RiverClan's medicine cats, turned to the she-cat. "Ready, Cinderpelt?" he asked her.

Cinderpelt nodded. "Yes, Mudfur," she answered. They took a step toward the shining crystallite rock, along with WindClan and ShadowClan's medicine cats; Barkface, the other brown tom from WindClan, Runningnose, the black and white tom, and Littlecloud, the golden brown tom, both from ShadowClan. She laid next to Mudfur and closed her eyes, pressing her nose to the stone. _StarClan, here I come, _she thought as she drifted off.

As the she-cat opened her eyes, she looked around, expecting to see woodlands. She leapt to her feet as she realized that instead she was on the moors. "Moorland?" she wondered aloud. "Why am I here?" she scanned the area some more, and in the distance she saw bright flashes of blue streaking across the open hills. "What are those?"

"Those streaks are more important than you think," a voice said from beside her.

"Bluestar!" Cinderpelt exclaimed in surprise, snapping her head around to see the sparkling StarClan cat. The former leader was standing there with an urgent look on her face. Cinderpelt suddenly remembered her manners and dipped her head in respect and greeting. "What brings you here?"

"I have a prophecy for you," the blue-gray she-cat explained. "So listen carefully."

"A prophecy?" Cinderpelt gasped. "So soon?" She closed her eyes and shivered as she remembered the battle with BloodClan, only one moon ago. Blood had completely covered the forest floor at Fourtrees, the battlefield where the dreaded Scourge had led his final attack, only to be overthrown by Firestar, ThunderClan's leader.

Bluestar closed her eyes and nodded. "I'm afraid so," she told her. "When fire is extinguished, only the blue blur from afar can reignite the flame."

Cinderpelt looked out at the moor. _Could that be what those streaks mean? _She looked harder, and as she did so she could almost make out a shape on one end of the streams of color darting back and forth over the hills. She turned back to Bluestar with a look of question in her eyes; then she suddenly realized that the StarClan cat was fading away.

"Best of luck to you and your Clan." Bluestar said, dipping her head as she prepared to return to the rest of StarClan.

"Wait, Bluestar!" Cinderpelt exclaimed urgently as the former leader faded into the stars. "I-I don't understand! What does it mean?!"

"That's for StarClan to know and you to find out." The she-cat answered, fading away.

Cinderpelt snapped awake, finding herself back in the cavern. She looked at the moonstone with annoyance. "Stupid StarClan."

Meanwhile, in a place quite the opposite of StarClan, something very different was happening. The trees loomed over each and everything in this place of endless darkness, the only light coming from the faint greenish glow of the mushrooms sprouting from rotting wood.

Within the darkness, two cats looked into a reflecting pool. Its glowing turquoise water swirled as it reveal an image; an image of a muscular flame-colored tom, his leaf-green eyes glowing with pride. "Are you sure he's the one?" a small black cat asked, his collar studded with dog teeth, and dogs' claws hooked over his own.

"Positive," a much larger tabby answered, his dark brown pelt greatly scarred from the many battles he'd fought. "He is the one we need to target." His anger grew as he remembered what the Clans had done to him. He slammed his paw into the water, destroying the image. He gingerly licked a large paw, sheathing and unsheathing his large claws.

The small black cat looked at him, and spoke again, his face serious and his eyes full of doubt. "You realize, Tigerstar, that if this fails we may not have another chance."

The dark brown tabby nodded. "Yes, Scourge I do." His amber eyes glowed in the faint light. He knew he would get his revenge on the living cats, AND StarClan, whatever it took. And afterwards, when he no longer needed the small black cat he was conspiring with, he planned to rip his little throat out, just as Scourge had done to him. "But there _is_ a plan B. But that would take moons of planning, and many cats. So let's just stick to plan A for now."

Scourge looked at Tigerstar and licked his lips. Then he looked back down into the reflecting pool as another image was forming. Now appearing in the swirling water was the shape of a hedgehog, except quite different then the hedgehogs they knew of in the forest. Scourge and Tigerstar had heard of this being from a strange shadow, wandering aimlessly through the forest. The shadow had said that the thing's name was Sonic the Hedgehog, and had described him as the spiky blue thing that had made it so he ceased to exist; and that was what cursed him to spend the rest of infinity in this wretched place. "And are you sure this one won't be a problem?" Scourge asked.

"Oh please!" Tigerstar scoffed. "It's a rat! And besides," he continued, standing up. "What happens in our world wouldn't be of his concern."

Scourge nodded. "So is it decided?"

"It is." Tigerstar said, walking off into the forest beside his small partner in crime. "I just hope this Twoleg agrees to the 'conditions' of this plan."

A large man blinked his eyes as he looked around. _Dang it!_ he thought bitterly. The man had been having a dream about how he would take over Mobius, with Sonic helpless to stop him. _Where the heck am I? _he asked himself. He started walking, but a voice behind him made him stop in his tracks.

"Ivo Robotnik," the voice said. It was deep a filled with malice.

"Yes?" the man asked, hearing his name. "What do you want?" he turn around and saw that the source of the voice was in fact not another human being, but a tomcat. _I must still be dreaming. _This cat was quite large, a dark brown tabby covered in scars, the most noticeable being a deep-looking scratch across its nose.

The tom looked at him. "I am Tigerstar, former leader of ShadowClan, and I-"

A small black cat cut him off. "You mouse-brain! He's a Twoleg!"

The tabby glared at the ebony tom. "I told you that, didn't I?"

"He's not going to understand us!"

"He _is _from another world!"

Robotnik cut in. "I can understand you perfectly fine; though I'm dreaming, aren't I?"

The large brown tabby looked at him. "Oh yes, but I can assure that this is no ordinary dream." With that, the tom leapt up and scratched the man across the cheek, just hard enough to leave a mark. "Anyways, as I said before, my name is Tigerstar, former leader of ShadowClan, and I'm here to make a deal with you." He stretched. "You specialize in chaos energy, correct, Ivo?"

"Yes. But how would you know about that? You're from earth, and your cats for that matter!" Ivo was surprised at how much this cat knew, and even more surprised at the fact that he could actually feel the scratch it had given him.

"Oh, a little birdie told me," Tigerstar said sarcastically.

"Uh, it was actually a shadow-" Scourge started.

"Shut it, Scourge!" Tigerstar snapped.

_A shadow. . . _Ivo thought for a minute. He vaguely remembered something like that, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. "Oh, and you can call Dr. Robotnik, by the way." he told the cat.

"Fine," Tigerstar said. He smirked as he imagined his plan unfolding. "So, Dr. Robotnik, we have intel that there is a great amount of chaos energy within a fellow cat, who goes by the name _Firestar_." He growled as he said he enemy's name; oh, how he despised it. "And anyways, with could help you capture him for your own needs, and in return, we only want two things; the destruction of the moonstone, and the enslavement of every cat in the forest."

Robotnik nodded. "Should be simple enough," he said. "But how do I know you're telling the truth about the chaos energy?"

"Not only was he the perfect apprentice AND warrior," Tigerstar said. "But the. . . thing we talked to told us, and he seemed to know what he was talking about."

"I see," Robotnik nodded. "And just out of curiosity, did this 'thing' have a name?" Something about it sounded familiar, and the scientist wanted to see if he could identify what it was.

"It did," Tigerstar told him. "It called itself Mephiles. Mephiles the Dark."


	4. Chapter One

C E

_The sun shone brightly through _the leaves on the trees and filtered into the ThunderClan camp. It was sunhigh, and as warm as it could get. Most of the warriors were spread out in front of their dens, sharing tongues and eating fresh-kill. Firestar looked around his camp and smiled. Now that the battle against BloodClan was over, all was well between the four Clans that lived in the forest, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

Beside him, his mate, Sandstorm, stretched out on the grass. "Is it time yet?" she asked Firestar, looking up at the sky. "You know the kits won't wait forever."

Firestar nodded. Today was the day he would be naming Willowpelt's kit, Sorrelkit, Sootkit, and Rainkit, as apprentices. He licked Sandstorm's cheek. He had promised her that she would mentor Sorrelkit, so he knew she was especially excited. "You'll be a wonderful mentor." He whispered in Sandstorm's ear.

He leapt onto the highrock and yowled the ancient call. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highrock!" As the cats gathered around, Firestar beamed with pride. This was his Clan, ThunderClan; One of the four great Clans that had been around for many, many seasons. And now it was his to look after.

"Today is a very special day," he began. "By naming apprentices we show that ThunderClan is strong." He hopped down from the rock and beckoned the three kits with his tail. "Sootkit, Sorrelkit, and Rainkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Sootpaw, Sorrelpaw, and Rainpaw. Sorrelpaw, your mentor will be Sandstorm." He smiled at his mate. "I know she will pass down all her skills and courage on to you.

Sandstorm, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Whitestorm, and you have shown yourself to be courageous and loyal. You will be the mentor of Sorrelpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."

Sandstorm purred happily as she padded up to Sorrelpaw and touched noses with her new apprentice.

Firestar repeated the process with Sootpaw and Rainpaw, giving Sootpaw to Longtail, and giving Rainpaw to his nephew, Cloudtail, to mentor. He figured an apprentice would do his wayward nephew some good.

Sorrelpaw bounced around Sandstorm excitedly once the ceremony was over. "Can we go see the territory? I need to see _everything_!" The little tortoiseshell seemed full of energy.

Firestar purred. He was glad to see how eager she was.

Sandstorm looked at Firestar. "What do you think? Should I show her the territory?"

"You're the mentor," Firestar meowed. "So if you want to, you can show her." He smiled at her, knowing he'd made the right choice making her a mentor.

"Okay then," she purred, looking down at her apprentice. "Let's go see the territory!"

"Yay!" Sorrelpaw exclaimed happily, racing toward the gorse tunnel that formed the camp entrance.

Sandstorm laughed. "Wait for me!" she called.

Firestar purred as he watched them go. Then he call over his deputy. "Graystripe!" he meowed. "Organize a hunting patrol please. Don't worry about who'll lead; that will be me." He breathed in the fresh air and stretched. He felt like he needed to get out more. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and it was quite warm, so prey would be plentiful. "And while you at it, you must as well put together a border patrol." He didn't want the other Clans taking advantage of the good weather.

Graystripe nodded. "Alright, Firestar." The deputy padded over to the warriors' den.

Firestar went over to the apprentices' den where his own apprentice, Bramblepaw, was fixing his nest. "Bramblepaw! We're going hunting; would you like to come?"

Bramblepaw shot out of the den. "Yes, Firestar!" he told him, licking his lips excitedly.

Firestar nodded happily. "Come on then," he meowed. "Let's go wait for the rest of the patrol."

The two toms sat by the gorse tunnel and waited. Soon, four cats gathered around them; Mousefur, Thornclaw, Brackenfur and Dustpelt. "Ready to go?" he asked them.

The cats nodded. "Yes, Firestar."

Firestar nodded back. "Then let's get going!" He bolted through the gorse tunnel, and the patrol followed.

Firestar took and deep breath as wind streamed through his bright ginger coat. He always felt so powerful when he was out like this; he felt like he could fight a million battles, and hunt until the world ended. He couldn't explain it, nor would he want it any other way. _This is what makes me who I am, _he thought. _Why would I change it?_

He heard a rustle in the branches of a beech tree and looked up. A fat squirrel leapt from branch to branch, not noticing him. Firestar signaled the patrol to stop.

"What is it, Firestar?" Mousefur asked.

"See that squirrel up there?" he looked up, pointing with his tail. "I'm going to knock it down. I need you to be ready to catch it."

"Are you sure?" Dustpelt asked. "That's quite high up."

"Firestar can do it!" Bramblepaw meowed. "We can pull it off!"

"We don't want him to fall." Brackenfur put in.

Thornclaw nodded in agreement.

Firestar was starting to get annoyed. "Just shut up and watch for falling fresh kill," he told them.

He shot up a tree as the squirrel was crossing over to it. As he got to the top, he surprised the squirrel and knocked it off the branch with a swift _whack_ of his paw. "Here it comes!" he yowled to the patrol below.

As the squirrel fell, he saw Bramblepaw jumped up and grab it. Firestar slid down the tree trunk and landed on the forest floor as the apprentice crunched the squirrel's neck, killing it.

"Well caught," Firestar told him. "Couldn't have done it better myself."

Bramblepaw purred proudly, setting the squirrel down. "Thanks Firestar!"

"That was quite a plan," Mousefur commented.

"And it actually WORKED!" Dustpelt exclaimed, surprised.

"I told you it would!" The apprentice boasted, flicking his tail happily.

"We never said it wouldn't," Thornclaw said. "It was risky, that's all."

"I'll take this back to camp," Firestar said. "You guys go on ahead; I'll catch up with you." He picked up the fresh-kill and padded off through the trees. He flicked his ears, hearing an eerily familiar voice.

"Soon you will get what's coming to you. . ."

The flame-colored tom whipped his head around, but saw nothing except what he thought was a flash of dark brown tabby out of the corner of his eye. He shuddered. _I must be imagining things, _he thought. He continued walking, but couldn't shake the feeling someone was watching him. He sniffed and caught a dank, musty scent. _Maybe it's a rogue, _he tried to convince himself.

As he came through the gorse tunnel, he set the squirrel down and went to talk to Graystripe. "Did the patrol leave yet?"

The deputy nodded. "Yes, they did."

"Well when they get back, ask them if they noticed any signs of intruders." Firestar told him. "My patrol will keep an eye out as well."

Graystripe nodded. "Sure Firestar. But, may I ask, why?"

"I just noticed a strange scent while I was out." Firestar explained, only telling half the truth. He didn't like lying, but he couldn't figure out any other non-mouse-brained ways to explain.

Graystripe nodded again. Firestar knew that his friend didn't completely believe him, but he also knew that Graystripe probably wouldn't question it.

He turned around and went back through the gorse tunnel to get back to his hunting patrol.


	5. Chapter Two

C o

_The six cats emerged from the _gorse tunnel, each with their mouths full of prey. The scent wafted through the camp, and Firestar noticed One-Eye licking her lips hungrily. Firestar nodded to the elder and pointed at Bramblepaw with his tail, smiling proudly as the tabby apprentice carried in a grouse almost as big as himself.

Firestar put the rabbit he had caught down on the fresh-kill pile and went over to his apprentice. "Take that to the elders' den," he said. "Then we'll do battle training, okay?"

Bramblepaw nodded happily and took the bird to the elders, doing his best not to let it drag on the ground. Halftail, Goldenflower and One-Eye purred gratefully, but Smallear turned his back and took a mouse from the fresh-kill pile instead, refusing to look at Bramblepaw. Firestar growled silently, then sighed. He had to accept that his apprentice, the son of the wretched Tigerstar, would have to struggle to prove himself to his clanmates again and again as he grew up, until one day he earned their respect.

Just then, Firestar heard the excited squeal of another apprentice. He turned around and saw Sorrelpaw bound through the entrance with her mentor at her heals.

"That was amazing! I wanna do it again!" the little tortoiseshell exclaimed.

Firestar purred. "Hello, Sorrelpaw, Sandstorm."

Sandstorm looked at Sorrelpaw. "Funny," she mewed thoughtfully, her whiskers twitching with amusement. "Most apprentices would be exhausted after their first day out."

"That may be true, but this young apprentice still seems to be bursting with energy," purred Firestar. Looked at the sky. He figured they had about an hour left before sundown. He turned to Sandstorm. "Bramblepaw and I were going to do some battle training in the sandy hollow while we still had some daylight. Why don't you and Sorrelpaw join us?"

Sandstorm smiled. "We'd like that," she purred. "Oh, and by the way, Sorrelpaw saw your little stunt. She's quite the little climber, though." she chuckled.

Firestar could just imagine the little white-and-tortoiseshell she-cat climbing up the tree, her small claws gripping the tree. "Is that so?" he asked, looking down at Sorrelpaw.

Sorrelpaw flicked her tail happily. "Yep!" she exclaimed, jumping in the air. "I was so high up! I wish the whole clan could've seen it!"

Firestar swished his tail. "I not sure about the _whole_ Clan," he purred thoughtfully, chuckling slightly as he wondered how Willowpelt would react if she had seen Sorrelpaw's climb.

"So are we going to go or what?" Bramblepaw asked, walking up to Firestar. He sheathed and unsheathed his claws impatiently. "We're wasting sunlight." The young tom swiped his claws in the air, practicing.

"Good point," Firestar meowed. The sun was sinking lower every minute, though its light shone just as bright in the cloudless sky. "So are you two coming?" he asked Sandstorm expectantly.

"What do you think, Sorrelpaw?" Sandstorm asked her apprentice. "Would you like to do some battle training?" Sandstorm's eyes sparkled, knowing what the answer would be.

"Would I!" Sorrelpaw exclaimed. "This is gonna be awesome!" she turned to Bramblepaw; the brown tabby towered over her, but Firestar saw that she was quite confident.

"I'll shred you!" Sorrelpaw growled playfully. "I'll turn you into mousemeat!"

Bramblepaw's whiskers twitched with amusement. "Sure you will," he purred at his newest den mate. "Well then, let's get going!" The tabby led the way through the gorse tunnel and bounded off into the forest at top speed, dodging trees and thorns left and right. Firestar was impressed, but he didn't want his apprentice getting hurt right before the training session.

"Slow down!" Firestar called after him, rolling his eyes. "You don't want to waste all of your energy before we even start!" He raced after the tabby tom, stopping as they reached the hollow. He looked around, but his apprentice was nowhere to be seen. "Bramblepaw!" he called. "Where are you?" He turned around as he heard a rustling, and saw Bramblepaw flying at him, claw sheathed. Firestar purred with amusement, leapt us and knocked the smaller cat to the ground easily. He looked down at Bramblepaw, whiskers twitching.

"Nice try," he meowed to the apprentice encouragingly. "But next time, be quieter, and remember to stalk from downwind, so I won't be able to smell you as well."

Bramblepaw nodded. "Yes, Firestar," he meowed, getting up. "Don't worry; I'll be as great as you someday, you'll see!"

Firestar purred, then turned to Sorrelpaw. "Ready to learn some moves, Sorrelpaw?"

Sorrelpaw bounced around him. "Yes, yes, yes!" she mewed excitedly. "Let's do it!" She looked at Sandstorm. "Am I going to fight a badger? Or a fox? Oh, or maybe ShadowClan warriors!"

Sandstorm twitched her whiskers. "Not today," she meowed. She looked at her mate "Firestar, why don't we start by showing the apprentices the paw swipe?"

"Aw, but I already know that one!" Bramblepaw complained, swishing his tail impatiently.

"Then why don't you show her, Bramblepaw?" Firestar asked him. He wanted to see how his apprentice would do _teaching _the move.

"Alright," Bramblepaw meowed, getting into position. "Now what you wanna do for this move is-"

He was cut off by a buzzing noise that sounded a bit like the monsters on the thunderpath; but this sound was coming from above. Ten fox-lengths (about twenty feet) above them, a flying twoleg machine crashed through the branches of the trees and hovered over the four cats. The large twoleg inside the machine looked down and his eyes locked with Firestar.

Firestar wasn't a hundred percent sure, but he could've swore that he heard the twoleg whisper "That's the one."

"Firestar what's going on?!" Sandstorm yowled, her hackles raised in alarm.

The leader didn't answer. All he could do was stare up at the twoleg contraption. It was sort of a large metal semi-circle, with all sorts of buttons and levers inside. The twoleg maneuvering the machine was bigger than any twoleg he had ever seen, almost too big to even fit inside the vehicle.

As Firestar stared, large metal claw came toward him. He hardly had time to react before it grabbed him. He yowled in rage and terror.

"Firestar!" Bramblepaw cried, leaping at the arm of the claw that held his leader, and mentor, in its grasp. But there was nothing he could do, and he was just knocked away.

"I-I'll be fine!" Firestar yowled desperately to the other three cats, though he was really trying to assure himself as well as his horrified clanmates. "Get back to the camp and warn the clan!"

Sandstorm nodded trustingly and told the apprentices to follow her. Firestar still struggled in the grip of the claw, vainly trying to escape. But that only seemed to make it worse.

"Be a good kitty!" a voice from above him said. "I'm not going to harm you. _Yet_." He pushed a button and the claw came up and pushed Firestar into a cage.

Firestar looked up, surprised to see that the voice had come not from a cat, but the twoleg. He gasped. "How can I understand you?!"

"No idea," the twoleg replied. And with that he pushed a lever and the machine flew off.

Firestar closed his eyes and curled up into a ball, not knowing what would happen. _Am I going to . . . die?_ he asked himself. A single tear slipped down his face as he thought of Sandstorm, Graystripe, Bramblepaw, and all of ThunderClan. _I'm sure they would be okay without me, but am I okay without them?_

Suddenly he felt a rough tongue on his cheek, wiping away his tears. _Is there another cat in here? _He sat up and looked around, and locked eyes with a sparkling tortoiseshell. "S-S-Spottedleaf?!" he stuttered in a whispered gasp. The beautiful medicine cat was sitting only a mouse-length away from him. "Is that you?" He sniffed, and caught that beautiful, flowery scent he knew so well. "Oh, Spottedleaf!" he buried his face in her cool, starry fur. "What am I going to do? What is my _Clan _going to do?"

"Hush," Spottedleaf mewed soothingly. "It all going to be okay. You'll get through this," she paused, stepping back. "But only with help."

Firestar looked at the StarClan tortoiseshell. "Help? What kind of help? Are you going to help me?"

Spottedleaf smiled. "Yes," she meowed. "But there will be another. Only the one who is not cat can save the forest."

"One who is not cat?" Firestar asked. "Do you mean a twoleg?"

"Not quite," Spottedleaf purred. She gestured toward a small bowl of water. "Look, Firestar."

As Firestar peaked into the bowl, an image started to appear. It started out as a blue smudge, but slowly started to take shape. What Firestar saw in the water was an electric blue creature with eyes as green as his own. He had a cocky grin on his face and bright red shoes on his feet. "Who is that?" Firestar asked.

The tortoiseshell medicine cat looked deep into Firestar's eyes "The blue blur, Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog."

And with that, she was gone.

Two days later, a certain blue hedgehog lay kicked back on the couch, reading a book. He yawned. _It's nice to take a break from fighting Baldy McNosehair for once. _Sonic smiled. Although he loved a good skirmish, sometimes he just liked to relax and read one of his favorite books from the series, _Cats of War. _Sure, it sounded childish, but it could actually get quite violent sometimes. He closed the book and stretched. "Maybe I'll go for a run," he said to himself. It was a beautiful summer evening, the sun was setting and the full moon was just beginning to show.

Sonic sped out the door and ran through green hill at top speed. He howled with excitement as he ran through the grass. As he got to the top of the hill, he looked out over the wilderness. He sighed happily. The sun had set, and only a pale orange glow remained in the mostly dark sky. The full moon shone brightly now, and washed over Sonic's blue quills, turning them silver. _I guess I'd better go back now, though. _He thought. As he looked out into the forest, he wondered. _Are there really wild cat groups out there? _He laughed. "Nah . . ." Still chuckling, he ran off back to his house.

Upon arriving at his front door, Sonic felt something strange; he had a nagging feeling that something big was about to happen. He shrugged it off and opened the door.

He shut the door and plopped down on his couch to read some more of his book. Suddenly a loud, gusty wind roared around him. _I thought I closed the door! _Sonic thought irritably. As he got up to go close it, he was surprised to find that it was shut. _What the . . . _

A bright flash of light knocked Sonic backwards. Before he knew what had happened, a sparkling deep blue-gray she-cat was standing before him, but not a Mobian cat; an earth cat. "Huh? Who are you?" he gasped, surprised. Then he slapped his hand to his face. _It's not going to understand me!_

"Greetings, Sonic. I am Bluestar, resident of StarClan and former leader of ThunderClan," meowed the cat; Sonic was slightly surprised he could understand her clearly, and Bluestar _could_ obviously understand him, though he wasn't sure how.

"Clan? Like from the books?" Sonic asked, confused. What did this cat want?

"What? What in the Dark Forest is a book?!" Bluestar spat, lashing her tail in annoyance and confusion. "You know what? Forget it. We have more important matters to discuss."

"Okay, three things; First, how do you know my name?" Sonic asked.

"I'm dead; I know pretty much everything." Bluestar replied.

"Um . . . okay? Second, how can I understand you? How can you understand me?"

"No idea; I think it has something to do with being from different worlds."

Sonic looked at the she-cat hard. She was surrounded by small stars, and her pelt and eyes sparkled and glowed. "And lastly, why are you here?"

"I was getting to that," Bluestar mewed. "Now shut up and listen."

Sonic crossed his arms, not sure if he wanted to.

Bluestar continued. "ThunderClan's current leader, Firestar, has been captured by a large Twoleg in a floating metal semi-circle contraption. He-"

"'Large Twoleg'?" Sonic asked, cutting in. "You must mean . . . Robotnik! What does he want with a cat?"

"Didn't I tell you to listen?" Bluestar hissed, lashing her tail even more. "StarClan has knowledge that Firestar has usual levels of chaos energy within him. This Robotnik guy must want to use it for something, and I don't think it'd be good."

"That certainly sounds like him," Sonic said thoughtfully. "Okay, I'll help you. But how will I get there? You're from earth!"

Bluestar gestured to a portal behind her that Sonic somehow hadn't seen before. "The way I came in," she told him. "Now come on; we're wasting time."

Sonic looked down through the starry portal in his floor. Below, he could see a large group of cats in a clearing between four huge oak trees. In the middle of the clearing, four cats stood atop a large rock. A muscular gray cat was speaking at the moment. "Firestar has been captured by a Twoleg," the tom was explaining. A gasp was heard from the large crowd of cats surrounding the rock. "Rest assured, we can and _will _rescue him. In the meantime, ThunderClan _will _stay strong."

"What are you waiting for? GO!" Bluestar hissed, pushing Sonic through the portal.  
Sonic was taken by surprised. "Aaaaah!" he screamed as he fell into the clearing.


	6. Chapter Three

C E

_Sonic landed in a bush and_ looked around. The cats were staring at him. He stood up, surprised to find Bluestar coming down beside him. Her pelt seemed to sparkle even more in the moonlight. The cats in the clearing stared at Sonic in awe, not knowing what to think. Then

Bluestar whispered to Sonic, saying, "Here are the four clans of the forest; ThunderClan, WindClan, ShadowClan, and RiverClan. Their leaders are Firestar, Tallstar, Leopardstar and Blackstar. As you know, Firestar was captured, so the deputy, Graystripe, is speaking for ThunderClan."

Then Bluestar began to speak to the cats. "Greetings, Clan cats. It is I, Bluestar. Don't be afraid of this newcomer. He is Sonic the Hedgehog, and _he _is the blue blur that will save Firestar, and all the cats, from the darkness that approaches!" She yowled with much confidence.

Sonic heard a soot colored she-cat gasp. As he looked her over, he saw that one of her hind legs was mangled. _What could've happened to her? _He wondered.

The stocky gray tom on the large rock in the center of the clearing looked at Bluestar. "What do you mean, Bluestar? Can't you tell us more?"

Bluestar shook her head as she began to fade. "I'm afraid not, Graystripe. But have faith, and serve your Clan well. Show Sonic the territories, and," she turned to look at ShadowClan, who were looking skeptical. "Don't underestimate him. Treat him with respect."

And with that, she faded away into the sky.

Almost immediately, the clearing erupted into unsure murmuring as the cats whispered to one another.

"Who is he?"

"How does he understand us?"

"Can we trust him?"

Sonic looked at the cats crowding around him. Being three feet three inches, and since most of the cat were about ten inches tall, that made him about twenty-nine inches taller. Although, some of the larger cats were almost a foot tall! The cats told him the names of the deputies and medicine cats, as well as some of the warriors. It turned out that the gray she-cat's name was Cinderpelt, ThunderClan's medicine cat. She was hit by a car (which the cats referred to as a "monster) when she was young, breaking her leg.

Leopardstar, a spotted golden she-cat, was the first one to speak after a hushed conversation with the other three leaders. "We, the leaders of the four Clans, have talked it over," she began.

"And we have decided that, by the will of StarClan, Sonic will remain in the forest. If our ancestors say that he will help us in this time of need, then it must be so." Graystripe added.

Tallstar, a black-and-white tom with a very long tail, nodded in agreement.

Blackstar, a white tom with black feet, just lashed his tail. "I don't get it," he stated. "How is this _our _Clans' concern? How is it even _his _concern?" he asked, waving his tail at Sonic. "Isn't this ThunderClan's problem, and their problem alone? After all, _Firestar_ was the one taken."

Then Sonic spoke. "The man- I mean, Twoleg, who has kidnapped Firestar happens to be an enemy of mine. He must have a reason for taking ThunderClan's leader." He looked at Blackstar and crossed his arms. "And the reason it's your problem is because he could take one of your clanmates, or even _you_, next. Do you really want that?" He was serious, but there was a hint of smugness in his voice.

Blackstar stared at him. "I. . . I suppose you're right," he muttered.

Graystripe twitched his whiskers, amused. "Well, then," he meowed. "I guess the gathering is dismissed!"

But instead of leaving, the cats closed in around Sonic, staring at him curiously and asking him many questions. Sonic had never seen so many cats!

Blackstar hopped down from the great rock and yowled to his clan. "Everyone home, now!"

Leopardstar and Tallstar did the same, and when the three clans left, only ThunderClan remained.

Cinderpelt made her way over to Sonic, hobbling on her three good legs. "Welcome to the forest, Sonic. I've been expecting you."

Sonic was surprised. "You have?"

Cinderpelt nodded. "StarClan told me you were coming. So why do they call you 'The Blue Blur'?" There was a curious sparkle in her eye.

Sonic smiled. "Well I'll show ya. Do you see that barn in the distance, across the moor?" When Cinderpelt nodded, he went on. "I'm gonna run up there, get a handful of hay, and run back down here before you can twitch your whiskers. Watch," he sped off toward the barn, blasting through the entrance when he got there.

A black cat with a white tail-tip jump as Sonic sped in, grabbed a handful of hay, and ran back to Fourtrees.

He dropped the hay at Cinderpelt's feet, and he could tell that she was amazed.

"Bu-but that's usually a half day's journey!" she meowed in awe.

"Not for me!" Sonic exclaimed, snickering a bit.

"Cinderpelt!" Graystripe yowled. "It's late. We'd better be going." He swished his tail impatiently as he waited for the medicine cat.

"What about him?" Cinderpelt mewed, looking at Sonic.

"He can sleep here," a silver tabby with dark black stripes meowed. "It's not that hard to build yourself a nest in the hollow of a tree." He looked at the sky. "And you'd better, because it's probably gonna rain sometime tonight or tomorrow morning."

"Longtail's right," Graystripe agreed. "Now come on; we're wasting time."

"Do you need any help finding moss?" Cinderpelt asked.

Sonic shook his head. "Nah, that's alright. You go with your clanmates."

The medicine cat nodded and went to catch up with Graystripe.

After poking around a bit, Sonic found a hollow beech tree to curl up in. After carefully inspecting it for any sign that another animal might have claimed it, he started to look for some dry moss and leaves the make a nest.

As soon as he got situated he curled up. He was tired, as it was pretty late, and would welcome a good night's sleep. He closed his eyes and dozed off.

Sonic open his eyes. He was in the middle of a shadowy pine forest. But suddenly, the forest around him turned black.

Sonic looked around. It was so dark now that he could hardly see his own hand. He realized though, that there were cats all around him-he could see their shadows outlined against the darkened trees, their eyes glowing in the blackness. All around him, he heard whispering.

"_Few are welcome here, in our world of secrets and darkness,_" the voices said. "_We are a Clan of cunning and cleverness, a Clan well suited to the shadows of the cold north wind. No other Clan can walk the paths of night like we do. Other Clans may be faster or stronger, but we are the most dangerous warriors: fierce, proud, and independent. We are ruthlessly willing to do what it takes to protect our great Clan. There won't be any softhearted alliances here! ShadowClan will always be the dark heart of the forest."_

Sonic felt a chill going up his spine. But suddenly the cats and the darkness disappeared, and he found himself on the moorland; the same land he had run across on the way to the barn. A strong wind blew around him, and many cats started to run around him, in the exact direction the wind was blowing. Once again, he heard whispers around him.

_"__We are the closest Clan to StarClan, spiritually and physically, and we always know our warrior ancestors are watching over us. That is what makes us strong. No matter what trials we must endure, WindClan will last forever."_

A strong gust of wind knocked Sonic aside, a he found himself being flung over a gorge, into a rushing torrent of water.

He screamed, panicking. He was pushed underwater, but almost immediately he was lifted up, pushed to the surface by cats swimming around him. He coughed and sputtered, being carried along the course rushing river. More voices spoke around him.

_"__Nothing can stand against the force of water, just as nothing can defeat RiverClan warriors when we rise up together. But when trouble comes, RiverClan knows how to weave through the dangers, adapting to the changed world, just as the river flows around rocks and over waterfalls. We are grace. We are power. We are RiverClan."_

The river then disappeared, and Sonic found himself under a canopy of green leaves. The sky was dark with storm clouds. He heard a loud crash of thunder, and lightning struck the ground all around him. Cats swarmed through the brambles.

_ "__There is no other Clan so true or so brave," _they whispered. _"In peace, we are respectful of the other Clans. In battle, fierce, courageous, and loyal._ _ThunderClan speaks out for what is right and is not afraid to challenge the warrior code. ThunderClan is the Clan of heroes, the Clan of compassion, the Clan of destiny."_

The storm faded away into darkness, broken by a full moon, with a large swath of stars glistening overhead. The moonlight shined down on Sonic as he looked up, amazed at the beauty of the stars. As he peered into the sky, he saw that many sparkling eyes stared back at him.

_"__Now you know of all four Clans," _said the cats in the sky. _"Let this knowledge guide you, and get to know the cats of every Clan. StarClan will watch over you, as we watch over every cat in the forest. Save the forest, Sonic. We're _all _depending on you. No pressure."_

Sonic tilted his head to the side, narrowing his eyes. Were the stars getting further away?

_ "__Dawn is here, Sonic," _the familiar voice of Bluestar whispered in his ear. _"It's time to wake up."_

And after she said that, in the blink of an eye, a torrent of darkness, air, water and sky crash over Sonic.

Sonic woke with a start, jumping. He poked his head outside. Sure enough, the sun had just risen over the horizon, shedding beautiful orange light over the floor. He crawled out of his sleeping hollow and stretched.

As he looked through the trees toward the moorland, he saw four cats coming toward him. "Hey!" he called.

Tallstar, who was leading the patrol, looked at him. "Good morning, Sonic!" he meowed. "Ready for a tour of WindClan?"

Sonic nodded. He turned to a light brown tabby. "I saw you at the gathering last night, didn't I? You're Onewhisker, correct?"

Onewhisker nodded. "This is Webfoot," he flicked his tail at a dark gray tabby tom. Then he looked down at a small black she-cat. "And this is his apprentice, Nightpaw*."

Nightpaw looked up at Sonic. "So are you ready to go?" she mewed.

"I sure am!" Sonic replied.

*Nightpaw=Nightcloud. I know she wasn't mentioned before TNP (or in the allegiances), but I like to think she was around 6 or 7 moons old around this time; 8 at the most

**[OMSC guys I'm SO sorry I haven't updated! I've been super busy and haven't been here for awhile. But anyway, I'm making an audiobook (or possibly an ANIMATION :-D ) and I need voices. Here are the details:**

** watch?v=vLtGPs3sKrg ]**


	7. Chapter Four

C R

_The group walked across the moor _until they got to the middle of it.

"Welcome to WindClan, Sonic!" Tallstar mewed. "This is our camp." He slid through a tangle of gorse. The other three cats followed.

Sonic pushed his way through the entrance after the four WindClan cats. "So what's WindClan known for?" he asked.

"Our speed and agility," Tallstar answered. "We can catch the swiftest rabbits and dodge the quickest claws."

Sonic smiled. He liked the sound of that.

"We are also the closest Clan to StarClan, both spiritually and physically," Tallstar continued. "This is truly what makes us strong."

Sonic's eyes widened. That was almost exactly what he had heard in his dream. "May I take a look around?" he asked the leader

"Yes! Please do," Tallstar said. He turned to a mottled brown cat who was sitting a couple of feet away. "Mudclaw, show Sonic around the camp, please."

Mudclaw leapt to his feet. "Sure thing, Tallstar!" he meowed. Sonic waited as the tom padded over.

"Come on," mewed Mudclaw. "I'll show you the warriors' den first."

Sonic followed Mudclaw. What he saw wasn't so much of a den as it was a bundle of nests in a wide, shallow hole.

Mudclaw must've seen the confusion on Sonic's face, so he began to explain. "Remember what Tallstar told you how we're the closest to StarClan? Well, our warriors like to sleep under the stars."

Sonic nodded. "But wait," he said. "What do you do when it rains, or when it gets cold?" Sonic could put up with cold, but couldn't stand being rained on.

Mudclaw flicked his tail toward a bush. "We sleep under that bush over there, near the elders' den." He told him. Unlike the warriors' den, it was closed in and well protected. "We have no elders right now, so we'll just skip that one. Great StarClan, it's nearly sunhigh!" he exclaimed. "We gotta get a moved on!" He bounded over to another den. Sonic followed him, surprised that it was almost noon already.

The den they came to was similar to the warriors den, but smaller. "Is this the apprentices' den?" he guessed.

"That's right!" Mudclaw said. "This is where our warriors in training sleep. We only have one at the moment. You met Webfoot's apprentice, Nightpaw, right?"

Sonic nodded.

"On cold or rainy nights, the apprentices sleep under the same bush as the warriors." Mudclaw continued.

"It'd be a bit cramped though, wouldn't it?" Sonic asked. "I thought you guys hated those conditions."

"Yes, but when it's cold it's good to bundle together for warmth." Mudclaw explained, though he was clearly beginning to become annoyed. "Why must you ask so many questions? You're worse than a new apprentice." he growled. He started walking toward a den laced with sharp- looking thorns on the outside. It looked even better protected than the elders' den! "Worse than Crowkit, even." He stalked toward the thorny den.

Sonic scowled. What was the point of being taken to a new place and not being allowed to ask some questions?

"Oh, don't get your tail in a knot, Mudclaw!" meowed a voice from the nursery. "It's good to ask questions!"

"Whatever you say, Ashfoot," Mudclaw growled. "Anyway, this is the nursery. Go ahead, poke your nose inside and see the little bundle of annoyingness that is Crowkit."

Sonic looked inside. Inside, there was a tiny gray-black kitten, batting at his mothers' tail.

"Hello!" the kit squeaked, stopping his game to look at Sonic with his bright blue eyes. "I'm Crowkit! And guess what? I'm gonna lead WindClan someday!"

Sonic smiled. This kitten was adorable! "I'm sure you will," he replied.

"Yeah; He'll probably get there by annoying the leader to death," Mudclaw growled from outside.

Sonic looked back and scowled at the mottled tom. Why did that cat have to be so negative? "Is he always like that?" he asked quietly.

Ashfoot, a she-cat with a slightly lighter gray pelt then Crowkit, shook her head. "Don't mind Mudclaw," she mewed. "He's just in a bad mood today."

"Come on!" Mudclaw meowed impatiently, almost as if it was just to confirm what Ashfoot had said. "You still need to see the territory! There's no time to play with the kit!"

Sonic heard the tom walk away from the nursery.

He backed out of the nursery in time to see Mudclaw speaking with Onewhisker, Webfoot, and another cat with a mangled-looking ear.

"So are you three going to take Sonic on a border patrol or not? Because I have better things to do than run around on the moor with him."

"Yes, Mudclaw," Onewhisker meowed. "We'll show him everything there is to see in WindClan territory. From what I've seen, he'll fit in here quite nicely."

Mudclaw snorted and stalked away.

Sonic walked up to the three cats. "Hello," he said. "So, border patrol, right?"

The cat with the ripped ear looked at him, then at Webfoot. "Eavesdropping?" he scoffed. "Mudclaw was right; he _is _as bad as a newly-appointed apprentice."

"Oh come on, Tornear, lay off." It was Onewhisker who spoke. "Although, he kind of is that, actually. StarClan's apprentice though, not ours."

_I'm no apprentice! _Sonic thought.

_Yes, actually, you are. _Bluestar whispered in his ear.

Sonic jumped. _Stop doing that! _He said silently.

Bluestar purred in amusement. _Nope. _

****_Oh, wait, watch this, _mewed another cat; an aged tom by the sound of it, though its scratchy voice was barely audible. But suddenly, the voice whispered clearly in Sonic's ear. And what he said chilled the hedgehog to the bone.

_You are fire;_ _Water will DESTROY YOU!_

Sonic jumped again, and he heard the two StarClan cats laugh hysterically.

_Good one, Goosefeather!_ Bluestar mewed.

_Ha ha, very funny. _Sonic thought scornfully.

"Sonic? Sonic!" Onewhisker meowed.

Sonic snapped back to reality. "Huh? Yeah?"

"Are you alright? You kinda zoned out while we were talking," Onewhisker told him, tipping his head to one side.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sonic said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was just. . . daydreaming, I suppose."

"Daydreaming?" Tornear asked. He rolled his eyes. "You're hopeless!"

"Forget about it," Webfoot said, Nightpaw by his side. "Let's just go."

Sonic was relieved that the conversation had ended. He followed the cats through the camp entrance. The grass was still wet from that morning's rain, but that wouldn't stop Sonic. He walked up to Tornear. "Hey," he said. "Wanna race? I mean, WindClan _is _the fastest Clan in the forest, right?"

Tornear smirked. "Okay," he meowed. "Race you to Outlook Rock."

Sonic looked and saw a large rock in the distance; about 200 feet away. He nodded. "That sounds good." He took a step back. "Here, you can have a head start; you'll need it."

Tornear started to draw his lips back in a snarl, but stopped and smiled, obviously realizing that this was an advantage. "Alright," he said. "How about three heartbeats?"

Sonic nodded. "Okay," he positioned himself into a racing lunge. "Ready. . . go!" he told Tornear. The cat shot off, surprisingly fast. Sonic immediately started to count._ One. . . two. . . THREE!_

He started to run, passing the WindClan cat with ease and leaping atop the boulder. "You're too slow!" he chided.

"Am not!" Tornear snarled, arriving at the rock. "You're just too fast!"

"There's no such thing!"

"Tornear, you hypocrite!" Webfoot exclaimed, bounding up. "_You're _acting like an apprentice now!" By the twitch of Webfoot's whiskers, Sonic could tell that the cat was amused.

Nightpaw stood behind her mentor, giggling. "Yeah, Tornear," she mewed. "Hey, you know, I think Ashfoot needs more moss for her nest. Why don't you go take care of that?"

"That's enough, Nightpaw," Webfoot meowed, brushing his tail across her mouth to quiet her.

"Come on," Onewhisker said, padding up to them. "The day's getting away from us."

Sonic realized that Onewhisker was right. The sun had dropped even lower in the sky; it had to be at least three or four o' clock by now. "He's right," he said. "Let's go."

It took about two or three hours to explore the whole moor, but luckily the days were longer in the summer, so it wasn't dark yet. At this point they were on the far side of the moor; the side opposite of Fourtrees.

"Are we gonna show him the RiverClan border?" Nightpaw asked.

"No, we're just gonna skip that and go home." Tornear meowed sarcastically. "I mean, it's not like Tallstar wanted him to see the whole territory."

"Okay Tornear, enough sarcasm," Webfoot mewed. "Let's get a move on. We don't want to be walking around by the gorge when it gets dark."

Onewhisker bounded ahead, and the other cats followed. As they walked, Sonic observed how confident Onewhisker was, and how the other cat seemed to respect and listen to him. _He'd probably make a good leader, _he thought.

As they neared the gorge, Sonic heard the loud roar of rushing water. He thought about what Goosefeather had said. He immediately pushed the thought away. _It was only a joke, _he told himself.

"Wow," Sonic said, trying to distract himself. "It's big!"

"When I was an apprentice, the elders would tell me stories about how they'd jumped across it when they were warriors," Onewhisker said. "Not sure if I believed them, though."

"Quiet!" Tornear whispered sharply. "Look over there." he got into a hunting crouch.

Near the gorge was a large rabbit nibbling on grass. It was a long way from a burrow, by the look of it.

Webfoot shook his head. "I don't know, Tornear," he mewed. "It's awfully close to the gorge, and the grass is still kinda wet from this morning." He turned to Onewhisker. "Should we risk it? We don't want anyone to fall."

Sonic had a bad feeling about it, but he kept silent, not sure that he had a place in this argument.

Onewhisker began to shake his head, but Tornear had already shot off in pursuit of the prey. "You mouse-brain! Get back here!" Onewhisker yowled.

Tornear wasn't listening, and was already running toward the rabbit. But the rabbit dodged at the last second and Tornear missed, skidding on the wet grass.

Sonic watched as the rabbit raced toward them in its panic. Webfoot lunged for it and killed it with one swift bite.

Suddenly, Sonic heard a yowl from the gorge.

"H-Help me!" Tornear was hanging over the edge by his claws, tail lashing in terror. Sonic soon realized that the wet ground was crumbling, and wouldn't hold the tom for much longer.

Reacting quickly, Sonic raced toward the cat. He grabbed him by the scruff and hauled him upward, dropping Tornear on the ground.

"Th-thanks," Tornear mewed, trembling.

"Sonic, look out!" Night yowled.

Sonic, still standing on the edge of the gorge, suddenly realized that that wet, unstable ground was crumbling beneath him. He tried to run, but slipped on the mud. Cursing under his breath, he started to get up. But the ground completely gave way under his weight.

His eyes widened in fear as he realized what was happening. And with a yell of pure terror, he fell into the churning river below.


	8. Chapter Five

C E

_Sonic hit the water with a _large splash and immediately began to panic. The current threatened to push him to the bottom of the river, but somehow he managed to make his way to the surface. He tried to breathe too soon and immediately regretted it; he just sucked in a bunch of water. As his head finally broke the surface he gasped, sputtering.

The gorge towered over the desperate hedgehog, and Sonic thought he could climb it. He leapt out of the water as hard as he could and tried to grab the rock face; but he slammed into it instead, and fell back into the river.

He went under, but soon popped up to the surface again. The roaring of the river seemed louder at this point. Was the current stronger too? He looked ahead and saw the waterfall. He tried to get away, but was pushed forward by the swift water.

_Oh jeez, _Sonic thought, terrified. _I'm going to die, aren't I?_

But then, he felt fur brush against him. He saw a starry-furred, silver she-cat beside him, guiding him.

_No, you aren't, _the she-cat whispered in Sonic's ear. It wasn't Bluestar; no, this voice was softer, more soothing. _Just let the current take you where it wants you to go, Sonic._

Sonic started to relax a bit at the sound of the voice. That is, until he went over the waterfall.

As soon as he hit the lower river, he was pushed under by the force of the water. He fought to get to the surface, but it felt useless.

_Don't fight the water, Sonic, _the silver cat mewed. _Embrace it._

Sonic didn't know how he could embrace the thing he hated and feared the most, but he listened to the cat and quit struggling.

_Now swim. _The she-cat nudged him a bit.

_I _can't_! _Sonic wailed silently.

_Yes you can, _the cat told him. _Move your legs and your arms; it's just like running._

Sonic did as the silver cat said and, surprisingly, the water seemed to loosen its grip. He quickly made his way to the surface.

_Wait a second! _The she-cat exclaimed. _ You're going to hit-_

Sonic didn't listen. His head broke the surface once more- and was promptly banged against a low bridge. He cursed. "Ow!"

_I tried to warn you, _the sparkling cat mewed, joining him. Was that a hint of amusement in her voice?

Sonic was about to reply, but was once more forced underwater by the current. He started to panic again.

_Calm down, Sonic! _the StarClan cat meowed.

As the current pushed him along, he hit against a rock. He grabbed it and clung to it.

_I see you've found stepping stones, _the starry she-cat remarked. _I suppose I'm finished here for now._

"Hey! Wait!" Sonic called. But the StarClan cat was gone.

"Well what do we have here?" a voice asked.

Sonic looked up and recognized Blackclaw, who had been the one to speak, and Mudfur from last night's gathering.

"Help me!" Sonic pleaded desperately.

Blackclaw rolled his eyes and stepped into the river. He reached over and grabbed Sonic's scruff, careful not to get pricked by the hedgehog's quills. "Dumb hedgehog," the black cat mumbled through the fur.

Sonic just coughed. He would've given a stinging retort in reply, but at the moment he was too exhausted to bother.

"Uh, you're gonna have to let go of the stepping-stone," Blackclaw told him.

Sonic began to release his grip, but suddenly realized how much water was actually between him and dry land; he hugged the rock tighter.

"You really are a fish-brain!" Blackclaw exclaimed, pulling Sonic off the rock and dragging him onto the riverbank.

Sonic coughed and collapsed on the ground, dizzy with relief. Mudfur came to his side and began to look him over.

"You seem to have gotten pretty shaken up. Are you hurt?" the medicine cat asked. "How do you feel?"

"I-I'm fi-" Sonic began to reply, but he started to cough up river water.

"Hey!" called a cat from the other side of the river. Sonic saw Onewhisker running toward the bank.

Blackclaw curled his lip and snarled. "Get off our territory, WindClan!"

"What are you doing with Sonic?!" Nightpaw demanded. Webfoot was beside her.

"Oh, we've done terrible things to him," Blackclaw growled. "We saved him from drowning, and our medicine cat is checking on him as we speak. Isn't that horrible?"

Sonic watched, wanting to say something; but he didn't, because he was so tired he could hardly lift his head.

Tornear stepped in front of the WindClan cats. "We came to make sure he was okay," he explained. He looked at his paws. "It was actually kind of my fault that he fell in."

"Kind of?!" Webfoot growled. "It was _entirely_ your fault, you rabbit-brain!"

"Knock it off, all of you!" Mudfur meowed. "It doesn't matter whose fault it is! What's done is done. Come on, Blackclaw. We should take him back to camp. He's had quite a scare, from what I can tell."

"Oh really?" Blackclaw growled. "How did you guess? Was it the fact that he's shaking so much or that you could probably smell his fear scent all the way in ShadowClan territory?"

That comment got him a whack on the nose from the medicine cat.

Sonic growled; he didn't like it when someone made a fuss over him. But he really couldn't deny what Blackclaw had said.

"He'll be fine," Mudfur mewed, looking at the worried WindClan cats. "He just needs some herbs and a good night's sleep."

Blackclaw looked at Sonic. "Can you walk?" he asked.

Sonic nodded hesitantly and pushed himself to his feet. His legs felt wobbly and he felt like he was going to pass out any second, but he forced himself to stand.

"Let's go," Mudfur meowed.

The two cats padded off, Sonic not far behind.

Meanwhile, a certain flame-pelted tom was feeling equally scared and miserable as Sonic; just not for the same reason.

Firestar had been caged, poked, prodded, and hooked up to many horrible machines; and although he had barely been there for a day, each minute felt like a whole moon. He felt like he had no energy, no strength, and hardly even any will to live.

But there was one cat who always came through for him when he needed her most.

_Spottedleaf._

Firestar thought of her fondly. Despite everything he went through, not just here, but each day, he knew she was always right beside him, getting him through it. And by night, in his dreams, he would speak to her, play with her, tell her how much he missed her, and tell her about things in the Clan. He loved how she would always listen, how she never got jealous or angry when he spoke of Sandstorm. He knew she understood.

Even still, he looked through the bars of the cage at the evil Twoleg that had captured him with dread, knowing that he was getting another experiment ready. He backed himself further into the cage, but knew that it wouldn't stop what would happen; he had tried everything, from scratching to biting to escaping through the window. "_It's no use!_" he yowled in frustration.

_StarClan save me from this horrible place, _he pleaded silently.

_Help will come, Firestar, _Spottedleaf's soft voice mewed.

_It better, _the flame-pelted cat thought. _Because it seems to be taking it's time._

_All will work out as planned, Firestar. _Spottedleaf soothed.

_Planned by whom? Not StarClan, surely. They can only predict the future, not control it. _Firestar asked, confused.

_By the one greater than us, my love, _Spottedleaf explained._ Surely you know. StarClan cats may stick around for many, many seasons to watch over our clanmates, but we are truly at peace only when we go to Him, our master and our creator._

Firestar nodded. _You'll be there when I get to StarClan though, won't you?_

_I. . . I cannot promise anything, my love. _Spottedleaf sounded as if she were going to cry. _But I'll always watch over you, no matter what._

Their conversation ended as the Twoleg opened the cage. "Here, kitty," he said. "Come here."

Firestar backed himself even further into the cage, hissing angrily. "No," he spat. "Not this time."

"Now Firestar, don't make this harder for you than it already is," the Twoleg said calmly. "Besides, you said that last time. And the time before that. And the time before that."

Firestar growled and bit the man, only to be shocked by an electrical current. _Well that's new, _he though bitterly.

"You won't get the best of doctor Robotnik, cat!" The Twoleg then laughed that horrible, obnoxious, evil laugh that Firestar had come to hate.

_Robotnik? So _that's _his name, _Firestar realized.

The man picked Firestar up and carried him over to a large, cold metal table. Strapping the struggling cat down, he hooked him up to another machine.

"This machine will drain the chaos energy within you, bit by bit," Robotnik said. "It's still an experiment, though, so I can only use it for a few minutes at a time. But don't worry; it'll only hurt-well, this is going to hurt a lot, actually." He laughed again.

"You're-You're a monster!" Firestar growled.

"Why thank you!" Robotnik laughed once more and turned on the machine. Firestar yowled as pain shot through his body like lightning.

_Will this torture ever end? _The cat cried silently.

Sonic pushed his way through a tunnel of reeds and rushes, following Blackclaw and Mudfur. He suddenly caught the scent of fish. _We must be close to the RiverClan camp_, he guessed.

Sure enough, when they came around a corner, Sonic spotted many cats, going in and out of dens, bringing food into some of them, dragging moss out of others. The smell of fish was so strong now it made him feel like gagging. _Well at least I can dry off here, _he thought. He was still soaked to the boned, his fur slicked back against his skin. It made him feel cold, even though it was relatively warm out in the summer sunset.

"What happened to you? You look like a drowned rat!"

Sonic looked down and saw a small brown tabby tom staring at him with piercing ice-blue eyes.

"Hawkpaw!" a golden tabby about the same size swatted the tom across the muzzle with her tail. "Don't be like that!"

"Okay, I'm sorry!" Hawkpaw replied. "But did you really have to swat me, Mothpaw?"

"Yes, I did."

Sonic almost smiled, remembering how he'd bicker with _his _siblings.

Across the camp, Blackclaw was talking to a golden she cat covered in spots. _That must be Leopardstar, _Sonic thought.

Mudfur nudged Sonic. "Follow me," he meowed. He led the way through a large tangle of reeds. The brown tom pulled a bundle of moss into the center of the den. "Lay down."

Sonic nodded gratefully and collapsed into the nest, relieved to be able to lie down; he was still shaking, his nerves shot. Mudfur shoved some leaves under his nose.

"It's thyme," the medicine cat told him. "It'll help with the shock."

Sonic ate the leaves. They seemed to work, as he felt himself begin to calm down after a few minutes. "Gee, thanks Mudfur; the herbs worked great. I think I should get back to my nest at Fourtrees now, though. It's getting dark," he said. What he said was true, but he really didn't mind the dark. What he did mind, though, was the fact that he was _surrounded _by the river in this Clan's camp; the sound of the rushing water, though nice and soothing to most, was unnerving to the hydrophobic hedgehog and made him feel trapped.

As Sonic tried to get up, he felt a paw push him back down. He looked up and saw Mudfur standing over him. "Not so fast," the medicine cat told him. "You're staying here for tonight."

"But-"

"Don't try to argue. I want to keep an eye on you." The medicine cat's words were firm, but there was a concerned glint in his eyes. "Now try to get some sleep." He padded away.

Sonic let out a groan, but didn't try to protest. He just curled up and closed his eyes, and was out within seconds.

"Sonic. . ." a soft voice whispered.

Sonic opened his eyes and saw that he was still in the RiverClan camp. A beautiful silver tabby was standing in front of him. "Hey," he said, recognizing her. "You're that cat who helped me today!"

The she-cat nodded. "I'm Silverstream," she meowed. "Yes, that was quite a predicament you got yourself into, wasn't it?"

"Hey, that wasn't my fault!" Sonic snapped. He flattened his ears, realizing he probably shouldn't have snapped at a StarClan cat. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Silverstream purred in amusement. "Why do you fear the water so much, Sonic?" she asked.

Sonic looked away. "I-it's a long story," he said, feeling his voice shake. "I d-don't want to about it."

The silver tabby brushed up against him. "It's alright," she soothed.

"It's not alright!" Sonic wailed. "It's a weakness." _Oh great, _he thought. _Now she's tricked me into talking about me feelings._

"You know, you could always talk to Leopardstar," Silverstream mewed. "She used to be a drypaw."

"Huh?"

"A drypaw is a RiverClan cat who is afraid of the water. Leopardstar didn't like it, but she forced herself to overcome her fear because she was determined to lead her Clan one day. And look where she is now."

"I suppose you're right," Sonic mumbled. "But for some it isn't that simple."

The she-cat purred again and walked over to the edge of the river. "Come here, Sonic," she mewed. She was staring into the water.

"What? No way!" Sonic said, backing away. "I am _not _going anywhere near that water!"

"Is the fastest thing alive too scared to sit on a riverbank?" Silverstream mused. "Come on, Sonic. You'll have to face your fear sometime."

Sonic half growled, half groaned, and made his way over to Silverstream's side and peered into the river to see what she was looking at. Seeing as this was StarClan's territory, the river shimmered with star shine; the beauty of it astounded Sonic. Suddenly he felt paws on his back, pushing him into the sparkling water. He yelped and thrashed around. "Help! I'm drowning!"

"Try standing up," a tom's voice spoke, thick with amusement.

"What the heck, Oakheart?" Silverstream hissed as she helped Sonic out of the water. The hedgehog flattened his ears in embarrassment. He looked at the tom, a brown tabby with green eyes.

"You were the one who said he had to face his fear!" The tabby purred. "You know Sonic, you remind me of my she-cat friend Bluestar."

"That wasn't nice!" Silverstream told the tom. "Sonic, this is Oakheart, my dad's brother. He was his deputy."

Sonic shook himself and glared at the tabby. "Can't exactly say 'nice to meet you,'" he growled.

Oakheart just twitched his whiskers. "Sonic, I saw you in that river. You can clearly swim when you need to. Why are you so scared?"

"I already said I don't want to talk about it!" Sonic was starting to get frustrated. "Can I please wake up now?"

"Careful what you wish for," the tabby mewed.

"Oakheart, don't," Silverstream meowed. "Now you're just messing with him, and it's not funny."

Oakheart purred in amusement once more. "It is for me," he mewed quietly. "Good luck on your quest, Sonic. May StarClan light your path." He flicked his tail.

_Finally. I tired of Oakheart, _Sonic thought. He yelped in terror as the ground suddenly opened up in a whirlpool below him. Just before he went under, he heard Oakheart laughing his tail off. _I think I hate that cat, _the hedgehog growled to himself.

Sonic woke with a start inside the RiverClan medicine den. The moss he'd been sleeping had been torn up and scattered. In the back of his mind, he could still hear the two StarClan cats.

_You're just horrible sometimes, you know that Oakheart? _Silverstream was snarling.

Oakheart just chuckled. _Yes, yes I do._

Sonic shook his head to clear the dream from his mind and scraped the bedding into a pile. Across the den, Mudfur was stirring in his nest. The medicine cat sat up. "Good morning, Sonic. Did you sleep okay?"

"You could say that," Sonic said, stretching. "Can I go now?"

Mudfur's eyes shone with understanding. "You really don't like it here, do you?" he meowed. "I can see that you deeply fear water. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No!" Sonic growled. "I keep saying that I don't!" He winced as he realized Mudfur wouldn't know what he was talking about and would probably start asking questions.

But Mudfur just dipped his head to and said "Okay. I'll get Blackclaw and Heavystep to take you across the river."

"I don't need an escort," Sonic said indignantly. "I'm not going to fall in again!"

Mudfur twitched his whiskers. "If you say so."

As Sonic exited the den, he looked over his shoulder. "Thanks for all the help Mudfur. I really do appreciate it."

"No problem."

Sonic walked outside, looking around. It had to be at least noon, or sunhigh, as the Clan cats called it, and every cat was outside, sharing fresh-kill and chatting.

Some of the RiverClan cats stopped and looked at the hedgehog curiously. Sonic flattened his ears uncomfortably as he felt multiple pairs of eyes staring at him. He exited the camp and saw Blackclaw with his apprentice, Dawnpaw.

"Leaving so soon?" Blackclaw asked.

Sonic nodded. "Yep. You guys may enjoy the water, but I sure don't!"

"So where you off to next?" the black tom asked. "You've been to WindClan and RiverClam."

"ShadowClan or ThunderClan, I guess," Sonic said. "Thanks again for the help, Blackclaw."

"No problem."

Sonic ran toward the river and jumped as hard and as high as he could, flying over the river. He squeezed his eyes shut, fearing that he might jump short. He made it over, though – and slammed right into a tree. Back across the river, he could hear Blackclaw laughing. Sonic growled. As he got down from the tree, something fell from the branches and hit him on the head. He cursed and looked down onto the ground to see what had hit him. He saw something red and glowing and he gasped. "A chaos emerald!" he exclaimed.

_Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, _Sonic nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Bluestar's voice. _I kinda accidently-on purpose dumped your seven chaos-emerald thingies through the star portal when you came and they got scattered all over the Clan's territories._

"WHAT?!" Sonic snarled. "Why the heck would you do that?!"

_You'll need them, _Bluestar explained. Her presence disappeared and Sonic could tell that she was gone.

Rubbing his head, he took the emerald back to his den at Fourtrees and tucked it underneath some moss.

"Greetings, Sonic," a voice behind him said. Startled, Sonic turned around and saw Russetfur, accompanied by Oakfur and Tawnypaw.

"Oh, uh, hi," Sonic said. "What brings you here?"

"Just patrolling," Russetfur meowed. She looked into the nest curiously. "Whatcha got there?"

"Uh. . . a shiny rock," Sonic said, not sure how to explain a chaos emerald to a cat. "A colorful, shiny rock."

"Oh," Russetfur mewed. "Well I don't suppose you'd like a tour of ShadowClan, would you?"

"Of course!" Sonic said. "It'd be better than hanging around here waiting for something to happen."

"Good. Let's go then."


End file.
